GIFT   OF 


A  Terminal  Market 
System 

New  York's 
Most  Urgent  Need 

Some  Observations,  Comments 

and  Comparisons 
of  European  Markets 


By 
Mrs.  ELMER  BLACK 

Member  of  the  Advisory  Board  of  the  New  York 
Terminal  Market  Commission 


i 


Copyright,  1912,  by  Mrs.  Elmer  Black 


A  Terminal  Market 
System 

New  York's 
Most  Urgent  Need 

Some  Observations,  Comments 

and  Comparisons 
of  European  Markets 


By 
Mrs.  ELMER  ^LACK 

Member  of  the  Advisory  Board  of  the  New  York 
Terminal  Market  Commission 


Contents 

Page 

Foreword 3 

The  Markets  of  the  United  States 5 

The  Markets  of  the  British  Isles 5 

The  Markets  of  the  German  Empire 13 

The  Markets  of  France     23 

The  Markets  of  Austria-Hungary 29 

The  Markets  of  Holland 30 

The  Markets  of  Belgium 30 

Comments 31 


Illustrations 

Covent  Garden  Market 6 

Smithfield  in  the  Olden  Days 8 

Delivering  Meat  at  Smithfield  Today 8 

Inside  Smithfield  Market 10 

Billingsgate  Fish  Market,  London 12 

Berlin's  Terminal  Market 14 

Interior  of  the>«Bfeflin  CeVnfUl:  Market 16 

Ground  Plan  of  tne  Munich  "IVlfafket* 18 

Munich's  2JTod«i;Tirr£fi5'Hifnat  ^lark^fe  .    . ; 20 

The  Paris  Halles,  exterior  view     .    . 24 

The  Paris  Halles;  Keen  Morning  Buyers 26 

A  Drastic  Inspection 28 


Foreword 


IN  the  belief  that  the  establishment  of  a  first-class 
Terminal  Market  system,  worthy  of  twentieth 
century  requirements,  is  a  matter  of  vital  import- 
ance to  every  family  in  New  York,  I  have  spent 
considerable  time  during  the  past  few  months  investi- 
gating markets  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic. 

As  a  result  I  am  more  than  ever  conscious  of  the 
need  for  an  enlightened  public  opinion  to  support  the 
efforts  of  the  Terminal  Market  Commission  to  secure 
this  benefit  for  our  community.  I  am  convinced  that 
our  fellow-citizens  will  approve  the  requisite  expendi- 
ture once  they  are  roused  to  a  realization  of  the 
inadequacy  of  our  food-distributing  centers. 

In  the  hope  that  my  investigations  may  aid  in 
the  accomplishment  of  this  reform,  I  have  prepared 
these  observations,  comments  and  comparisons. 

It  is  true  that  the  problem  of  the  high  cost  of 
living  is  afflicting  the  old  lands  of  Europe,  the  newer 
countries  like  New  Zealand,  as  well  as  our  own  wide 
territories  of  the  United  States.  The  causes  vary,  ac- 
cording to  local  conditions;  but  everyv^here  it  is  agreed 
that  a  potent  force  for  the  amelioration  of  the  condition 
of  the  consumers  is  found  in  the  establishment  of  effi- 
cient Terminal  Markets  under  municipal  control  for  all 
progressive  cities.  With  wise  administration,  stringent 

3 

259528 


inspection  and  sound  safeguards,  these  municipal  mar- 
kets benefit  both  producers  and  consumers.  They 
eliminate  considerable  intermediate  expense,  delay  and 
confusion.  Last  but  not  least  they  return  a  profit  to 
the  city  treasury. 

It  is  because  our  New  York  markets  achieve  none 
of  these  beneficent  results  that  I  issue  this  plea  for  the 
establishment  of  an  adequate  Terminal  Market  system. 
I  appeal  to  all  who  have  the  welfare  of  their  city  at 
heart  to  add  the  force  of  their  opinion  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  this  civic  improvement. 


United  States 

EW  YORK,  with  over  5,000,000  inhabitants,  has  no  effective 
market  system.  The  buildings  are  out  of  repair,  there  is  little 
or  no  organization,  and  the  superintendent  has  testified  before 
the  New  York  Food  Investigation  Commission  (March  12, 
1912)  that  on  their  administration  last  year  there  was  a  loss  to 
the  city  treasury  of  $80,000.  To  that  must  be  added  due  con- 
sideration of  the  inconvenience  to  the  consumers,  producers  and 
dealers,  and  the  extra  cost  of  handling  entailed  by  the  lack  of 
modern  market  methods.  The  city  has  almost  quadrupled  its 
population  in  a  generation,  but  the  markets  remain  about  as 
they  were.  Many  other  cities  in  the  United  States  not  only 
testify  to  the  value  of  municipal  markets  as  a  means  for  lower- 
ing prices  to  the  consumer,  but  so  guard  their  interests  as  to 
provide  a  very  different  balance  sheet. 

Boston  has  a  profit  on  its  markets  of  $60,000,  Baltimore 
$50,000,  New  Orleans  $79,000,  Buffalo  $44,000,  Cleveland 
(Ohio)  $27,507,  Washington  (D.  C.)  $7,000,  Nashville  (Tenn.) 
$8,200,  Indianapolis  $17,220,  Rochester  (N.  Y.)  $4,721,  and  St. 
Paul  (Minn.)  $4,085. 

If  the  following  facts  concerning  municipal  markets  are 
studied,  also,  it  will  be  seen  that  no  city  in  any  way  comparable 
to  New  York  fails  to  make  the  municipal  markets  yield  advan- 
tages both  to  the  community  and  the  city  treasury. 

The  British  Isles 

CONDON  naturally  serves  as  a  starting  point  for  a  tour  of 
European  investigation.  The  British  capital  has,  indeed,  features 
that  render  it  comparable  in  a  peculiar  degree  with  New  York. 
The  population  of  both,  including  their  outer  ring  of  suburbs, 
is  over  five  millions.  In  each  case  there  is  access  to  the  open 
sea  by  means  of  a  noble  waterway  over  which  passes  the  com- 
merce of  the  seven  seas.  Railroads  supplement  the  water-borne 
cargoes  with  home-grown  produce,  fresh  from  the  farms  for  the 
use  of  urban  kitchens. 

London's  markets  do  not  afford  the  unbroken  example  of 
municipal  control  that  they  would  if  a  ne\C*  system  were  to  be 
created  at  the  present  day.  Precedent  looms  large  in  British 
administration  and  even  now  there  are  only  two  ways  of  estab- 
lishing a  market — by  Parliamentary  authority  and  Royal  Char- 
ter. King  Henry  III  covenanted  by  charter  with  the  City  of 
London  not  to  grant  permission  to  anyone  else  to  set  up  a  mar- 
ket within  a  radius  of  seven  miles  of  the  Guildhall,  and  this 


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privilege  was  subsequently  confirmed  by  a  charter  granted  by 
Edward  III  in  1326.  But  of  late  years  the  City  Corporation 
has  waived  its  rights  and  allowed  markets  to  be  established  in 
various  districts  wherever  a  real  necessity  has  been  shown  to 
exist.  In  fact  the  markets  of  London  have  grown  with  the 
city,  keeping  pace  with  its  requirements. 

There  remains,  however,  the  fact  that  certain  Corporation 
markets  and  Covent  Garden  market  serve  as  great  wholesale 
terminals,  connected  more  or  less  unofficially  with  the  numerous 
local  markets  in  the  outlying  districts. 

Chief  among  the  Corporation  markets  is  Smithfield,  cover- 
ing about  eight  acres,  and  costing  altogether  $1,940,000.  There 
are  to  be  found  wholesale  meat,  poultry  and  provision  markets, 
with  sections  for  the  sale,  wholesale  and  retail,  of  vegetables 
and  fish.  In  the  last  twenty  years  the  development  of  cold 
storage  processes  has  lowered  the  quantity  of  home-killed  meat 
and  remarkably  increased  the  importation  of  refrigerated  sup- 
plies. Last  year  the  wholesale  market  disposed  of  433,723  tons 
of  meat,  of  which  77.2  per  cent  came  from  overseas. 

'  Ten  years  ago  the  United  States  supplied  41  per  cent  of 
the  Smithfield  meat,  but  now  these  supplies  have  fallen  off  en- 
ormously and  the  last  report  of  the  Markets  Committee  says: 
"The  United  States,  in  particular  for  domestic  needs,  is  within 
measurable  distance  of  becoming  a  competitor  with  England  for 
the  output  of  South  America."  South  America  and  Australasia 
are,  indeed,  the  chief  producers  to-day  for  the  British  market. 

This  has  developed  a  great  cold  storage  business  in  Lon- 
don. All  told  London  can  accommodate  3,032,000  carcases  of 
mutton,  reckoning  each  carcase  at  36  pounds.  Over  41  per 
cent  of  England's  imported  meat  passes  through  Smithfield,  and 
railroad  access  is  arranged  to  the  heart  of  the  market.  The 
Great  Northern  Railway  Company  has  a  lease  from  the  cor- 
poration on  100,000  feet  of  basement  works  under  the  meat  mar- 
ket, with  hydraulic  lifts  to  the  level  of  the  market  hall,  and 
inclined  roadways  for  vehicular  traffic. 

Most  of  the  tenants  at  Smithfield  are  commission  salesmen, 
who  pay  weekly  rents  for  their  shops  and  stalls  at  space  rates,  all 
the  fittings  being  supplied.  Last  year  these^  rents  brought  in 
$427,920.  There  is  a  toll  of  a  farthing  on  every  21  pounds  of 
meat  sold,  which  together  with  cold  storage,  weighing  and  other 
charges  amounted  in  the  same  period  to  $241,635.  The  meat  sales 
are  entirely  wholesale,  except  on  Saturday  afternoons,  when 
there  is  a  retail  "People's  Market,"  where  thousands  of  the  very 
poor  buy  cheap  joints. 


SMITHFIELD  IN  THE  OLDEN  DAYS 
From  an  Old  Print  Dated  1810. 


DELIVERING  MEAT  AT  SMITHFIELD  TODAY 
There  is  an  inclined  road  by  the  tree  in  the  center  of  the  picture,  leading 
to  the  special  railroad  freight  depot.     Cars  are  also  run  directly  under  the 
market  and  their  cargoes  are  delivered  by  hydraulic  lifts  to  the  stands  above. 


The  inspection  is  very  strict,  every  precaution  is  taken  to 
ensure  cleanliness,  and  breaches  of  the  regulations  are  punished 
by  fines  or  imprisonment.  All  condemned  carcases  are  sent  to  a 
patent  Podewill  destructor  to  be  reduced  by  steam  pressure  and 
rolling  to  a  powder,  which  is  disposed  of  as  an  agricultural 
fertilizer. 

On  these  central  meat  markets  there  is  a  profit  of  abouff 
$100,000. 

The  Corporation  also  controls  a  great  live  cattle  market  at 
Islington,  covering  seventy-five  acres.  Over  $2,500,000  have 
been  spent  on  this  market  and  the  modern  slaughterhouses  at- 
tached thereto.  These  slaughterhouses  are  not  regarded  as  a 
remunerative  concern,  but  are  provided  because  they  afford  hy- 
gienic methods,  and  private  slaughterhouses  in  London  are  de- 
creasing rapidly.  Last  year  37,670  cattle,  101,646  sheep,  11,722 
calves  and  34,981  swine  were  slaughtered  there,  the  charges 
being  36  cents  a  head  for  cattle,  4  cents  for  sheep,  8  cents  for 
calves,  and  12  cents  for  hogs.  Mainly  on  account  of  the  ex- 
tensions and  improvements,  this  market  is  not  being  run  at  a 
profit  at  present,  but  its  public  utility  is  held  to  justify  the 
outlay.  Xnr  Hnesjjne  Deptford  Cattle  market,  of  thirty  acres, 
maintained  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames  to  deal~wlfrT  live  cattle 
imported  from  abroad,  pay  its  way.  But  there  has  been  a  serious 
decline  in  imported  stock  in  late  years,  especially  from  America. 
At  this  market  extreme  precautions  are  taken  to  prevent  the 
entry  of  cattle  disease  that  might  spread  infection  to  British 
flocks  and  herds.  All  animals  landed  there  must  be  slaughtered 
within  ten  days  and  submitted  to  rigid  inspection.  All  hides  and 
offal  are  immediately  disinfected.  Five  hundred  cattle  can  be 
unloaded  from  vessels  at  Deptford  in  twenty  minutes.  Last  year 
104.351  animals  were  killed,  the  meat  being  sent  for  sale  to 
Smithfiekl  and  Whitechapel. 

Billingsgate,  the  famous  fish  market  of  London,  is  also  ad- 
ministered by  the  Corporation.  Its  records  cover  over  six  hun- 
dred years.  It  is  hampered  by  narrow  street  approaches,  but  a 
very  expeditious  system  of  direct  delivery  of  fish  from  the 
Thames  side  of  the  market  building  enables  the  licensed  auc- 
tioneers to  dispose  of  supplies  very  quickly.  Steam  carriers  col- 
lect the  fish  from  the  fleets  around  the  coast>and  deliver  them 
packed  in  ice  at  Billingsgate  every  night.  Billingsgate  market 
has  cost  the  city  $1,600,000.  Stand  prices  are  high,  but  there 
is  keen  competition  whenever  a  vacancy  occurs.  Last  year  the 
receipts  amounted  to  $182,455.  The  auctioneers  dealt  with  194,- 
477  tons  of  fish,  of  which  120.905  were  water-borne  and  73,572 


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land-borne.  The  City  profited  to  the  extent  of  over  $40,000  on 
this  fish  trade. 

On  the  wholesale  and  retail  meat,  fruit,  vegetable  and  fish 
market  at  Leadenhall  there  is  also  a  profit  of  over  $5,000. 

On  the  entire  municipal  market  enterprises  of  the  city  there 
is  a  profit  of  $156,000.  The  markets  are  regarded  with  especial 
interest  "By  the  Corporation  and  the  Committee  which  regu- 
lates them  is  considered  one  of  the  most  important  in  the  whole 
administration  of  the  city.  In  order  to  keep  abreast  of  the  times 
most  of  the  profit  is  expended  on  improvements  and  extensions. 

Covent  Garden,  London's  great  fruit,  flower  and  vegetable 
market,  is  owned  by  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  whose  family  have 
held  it  for  hundreds  of  years.  In  the  past  century  they  have 
spent  $730,000  on  extensions  and  improvements.  Of  the  present 
modern  buildings,  the  fruit  hall  cost  $170,000  and  the  flower 
building  $243,000.  Formerly  the  producers  were  chiefly  con- 
cerned in  the  market,  holding  their  stands  at  a  yearly  rental. 
But  with  the  expansion  of  London  the  growers  have  gradually 
given  place  to  dealers  and  commission  men,  who  pay  twenty-five 
cents  a  day  per  square  foot  of  space,  and  on  the  produce,  at  a 
regular  scale,  according  to  its  nature.  On  flowers  there  is  no 
toll,  but  each  stand  holder  pays  a  fixed  rental.  Though  this  mar- 
ket has  direct  access  neither  to  river  nor  railroad,  it  still  retains 
its  premier  position  among  the  wholesale  markets  of  England. 
As  the  approaches  are  extremely  narrow,  most  of  the  produce  has 
to  be  carried  on  the  heads  of  hundreds  of  porters  from  the  wagons 
outside  into  the  market  buildings.  As  it  is  under  private  owner- 
ship, no  figures  are  issued,  but  there  is  known  to  be  a  huge  profit 
on  the  market.  For  outer  London  there  are  fruit  and  vegetable 
markets  at  Stratford,  in  the  east,  Kew  in  the  west,  the  Borough 
in  the  south  and  two  railroad  markets  in  the  north. 

.BIRMINGHAM,  England's  chief  midland  city,  has  owned 
its  markets  since  1824,  administering  them  through  a  markets 
and  fairs  committee.  Since  1908  the  profits  have  been  some- 
what reduced,  owing  to  outlay  on  improvements  and  extensions ; 
but  although  the  city  has  expended  $2,156,362  on  the  markets, 
the  profits  have  paid  off  more  than  half  of  that  indebtedness,  be- 
sides relieving  taxation  in  other  directions. 

Not  far  away  is  the  small  city  of  KIDDERMINSTER,  that 
may  be  mentioned  as  affording  a  demonstration  of  provincial 
municipal  enterprise,  under  more  restricted  conditions.  On  its 
vegetable  market  it  makes  a  profit  of  $1,000,  and  on  its  butter 
market  a  profit  of  $1,500.  The  population  of  the  city  is  only 


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25,000.  Another  midland  city,  WOLVERHAMPTOX,  makes 
a  profit  of  nearly  $20,000. 

LIVERPOOL,  the  great  northern  port  on  the  Mersey,  has 
spenf  $1,242,534  on  six  municipal  markets.  The  only  market  to 
lose  money  is  the  cattle  market,  which  shows  a  deficit  of  $8,000. 
Liverpool  has  a  cold  storage  capacity  for  2,176,000  carcases. 
On  the  whole  municipal  market  enterprise,  in  this  city  of  700,000 
people,  there  is  an  average  annual  profit  of  $80,000. 

JV1  AX  CHESTER  serves  not  only  its  own  area  but  surround- 
ing industrial  centers,  with  a  total  population  of  nearly  8,000,000. 
There  are  twelve  markets  and  four  slaughterhouses.  Since  1868 
the  city  has  benefited  by  their  administration  to  the  extent  of 
$3,250,000  profit. 

Xext  to  that  of  London,  the  fish  market  here  is  the  largest 
in  England.  Its  annual  profit  is  well  over  $10,000,  in  addition 
to  heavy  extension  payments  in  late  years. 

DUBLIN,  the  capital  of  what  is  often  called  'the  distressful 
isle/  makes  a  profit  of  $14,000  on  the  food  market  and  $12,000 
more  on  the  cattle  market,  while  EDIXBURGH,  Scotland's  chief 
city,  makes  about  $15,000  a  year  on  municipal  markets. 

Statistics  are  available  of  something  like  150  other  British 
towns  and  cities,  ranging  from  a  population  of  5,000  upwards, 
where  there  is  the  conviction  born  of  experience  that  municipal 
markets  pay  not  merely  in  profits,  but  in  convenience  to  the  com- 
munity, and  they  have  a  powerful  influence  in  keeping  prices 
down. 

Germany 

1  ERHAPS  more  than  any  other  country  in  the  world  Germany 
places  reliance  on  municipal  markets,  because  of  the  peculiar 
pressure  of  the  problem  of  the  high  cost  of  living  in  the  cities 
of  the  Fatherland.  On  several  occasions,  during  the  last  twelve 
months,  the  butchers'  stalls  have  been  raided  by  women  in  pro- 
test against  the  ten  per  cent  increase  in  one  year  on  the  price 
of  meat.  And  when,  to  meet  the  clamor,  the  government  reduced 
the  hitherto  prohibitive  import  duties  on  meat  by  one-half  and 
the  inland  railroad  charges  by  one-third,  it  was  on  condition  that 
the  meat  brought  in  should  be  for  delivery  to  municipal  mar- 
kets or  co-operative  societies  only.  The  result  has  been  an  im- 
mediate fall  in  retail  prices  ranging  up  to  fifty  per  cent. 

13 


BERLIN'S  TERMINAL  MARKET 

An  Outside  View  of  One  Section  of  the  $7.250,000  Central  Market  that 
Caters  for  the  Needs  of  Consumers  in  the  German  Capital. 


OERLIN'S  two  million  people  since  1886  have  had  a  splendid 
terminal  market  on  the  Alexanderplatz,  consisting  of  two  great 
adjoining  halls,  with  direct  access  to  the  city  railroad.     One  of 
these  halls  is  entirely  wholesale,  while  the  other  is  partly  whole- 
sale and  partly  retail.     Meat,  fish,  fruit  and  vegetables  are  dealt  \ 
with  under  the  same  roof  by  upwards  of  2,000  producers  and  \ 
dealers. 

The  whole  market  cost  $7,250,000,  of  which  $1,920,711  was 
for  the  main  market  and  $4,852,862  was  for  the  slaughterhouses, 
which  are  most  elaborately  equipped  to  ensure  sanitation  and 
cleanliness.  Great  as, the  market  is,  the  pressure  of  business  has 
grown  so  much  that  a  project  is  on  foot  to  construct  more  ac- 
commodation at  a  cost  of  $15,000,000.  The  market  is  maintained 
by  stand  rentals  and  administrative  charges  and  by  a  fund 
established  for  the  improvement  and  extension  of  the  system.  On 
the  entire  enterprise,  when  all  charges  have  been  met  and  interest 
paid,  there  is  a  profit  of  over  $135,000  a  year. 

A  committee  of  eleven,  partly  city  councillors  and  partly 
selected  representatives  of  the  public,  administer  the  marketjgj 
with  ninety-three  officials  to  ensure  the  carrying  out  of  their 
orders.  The  regulations  are  most  elaborate,  especially  as  regards 
the  inspection  of  foods,  which  is  conducted  by  a  department  hav- 
ing  a  staff  of  six  hundred. 

A  healthy  competition  is  created  by  the  system  of  sales, 
which  may  be  conducted  by  the  producer  himself,  or  through 
an  approved  wholesale  dealer,  or  through  one  of  the  six  municipal 
sales  commissioners.  These  municipal  sales  commissioners  have  to 
give  bonds  on  appointment  and  are  not  allowed  to  have  any 
interest  in  the  trade  of  the  market  beyond  a  small  percentage  on 
sales.  Producers  living  at  a  distance  can  have  their  business 
carried  through  by  them  under  conditions  so  well  understood 
and  respected  as  to  ensure  confidence.  Though  the  municipal 
sales  commissioners  handle  less  than  a  quarter  of  the  sales,  they 
nevertheless  act  as  a  check  on  the  private  dealers,  especially  as 
they  issue  a  regular  report  on  the  average  wholesale  prices. 
Moreover  the  purchasers  benefit  by  these  market  arrangements, 
for  if  they  buy  from  a  regularly  authorized  dealer  they  can  file 
a  claim  with  the  administration  if  the  supplies^  delivered  are  faulty 
and  if  their  case  is  proved  the  account  willHbe  rectified. 

About  fifty  railroad  car  loads  can  be  handled  at  once  at  the 
market,  but  when  extended  accommodation  is  provided  it  is  in- 
tended to  deal  with  two  hundred  carloads  simultaneously.  On 
supplies  thus  delivered  a  railroad  tax  is  collected  from  the  re- 
ceivers for  maintaining  rail  connections,  and  this  yields  an  annual 
profit  of  $11,000. 

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PL,    t) 

O  - 


2  § 
' 


16 


Of  the  stand  holders,  nine-tenths  are  monthly  tenants,  and 
the  remainder  pay  by  the  day.  The  highest  charge  is  9.5  cents 
per  square  meter  a  day  for  meat  stalls.  The  fish  sold  comes 
mainly  from  Geestemunde,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Weser,  and  is 
sold  under  the  strictest  conditions,  only  a  small  commission  being 
allowed  to  be  added  by  the  dealers. 

The  slaughterhouses  deal  with  800  wagons  daily  and  for  the 
use  of  the  butchers  and  the  market  generally  2,000  square  meters 
of  distilled  water  are  produced  every  day,  valued  at  four  cents 
the  square  meter.  Eight  thousand  pipes  conduct  the  water  to 
every  part  of  the  market.  To  ensure  cleanliness,  bathrooms  and 
rooms  for  drying  clothes  are  established  for  the  use  of  the 
butchers,  who  are  charged  two  and  a  half  cents  a  bath.  In 
inspecting  the  carcases  the  veterinaries  take  the  most  minute 
precautions.  From  every  animal  four  samples  are  taken,  at 
different  parts  of  the  body,  and  each  of  these  samples  is  sub- 
mitted to  tests  for  twenty  minutes. 

In  an  average  year  14,000  carcases  are  condemned  and  de- 
stroyed, as  well  as  400,000  diseased  parts.  Whenever  possible 
the  inspectors  cut  away  diseased  portions,  and  the  remainder 
of  the  carcase,  after  being  sterilized,  is  sent  to  the  markets  known 
as  the  Freibank,  for  sale  to  the  very  poor.  This  proportion  is 
not  so  startling  when  it  is  considered  that  something  like  two 
million  animals  are  slaughtered  every  year,  of  which  more  than 
half  are  pigs.  Until  recently  Germany  used  to  export  a  large 
number  of  prime  animals  to  the  London  market,  but  the  demands 
of  home  consumers  now  prevent  this  and  the  export  trade  has 
practically  ceased.  In  fact  Germany,  in  common  with  the  rest 
of  Europe,  is  now  competing  for  the  world's  refrigerated  sup- 
plies. 

Storm  doors  and  windbreaks  are  provided  at  the  entrances, 
to  the  markets  and  wagons  are  only  allowed  inside  at  certain 
hours  and  through  specified  doorways.    Thus  there  is  an  absence  \ 
of  dust,  and  a  carefully  arranged  series  of  windows  ensure  ample  j 
ventilation.     All  dealers  have  to  unpack  their  stock  at  least  once 
every  seven  days,  for  the  destruction  of  unsound  articles.     All 
supplies  of  unripe  fruit,  horseflesh  and  artificial  butter  have  to 
carry  labels  disclosing  their  real  nature.     Attached  to  the  market 
is  a  hospital  with   skilled  attendance,   for  cases  of  sickness  or 
injury  happening  on  the  market  premises. 

As  in  most  other  centers,  the  establishment  of  the  market 
led  to  the  peddlers  entering  into  outside  competition.  They 
bought  their  supplies  wholesale  inside,  and  then  offered  them 
cheaply  outside,  free  from  stand  rentals  and  other  charges.  This 

17 


GROUND  PLAN  OF  THE  MUNICH  MARKET 
In  front  is  seen  the  toll-house  and  receiving  station,  then  the  great 
market  hall  and,  in  the  upper  part  of  the  picture,  the  restaurant  and 
administration  offices.  The  sidetracks  on  the  right  facilitate  the  rapid 
distribution  of  produce  sold  at  the  market.  Under  the  great  market  hall 
are  large  refrigeration  chambers  connected  directly  with  the  railroad. 


18 


menace  to  the  prosperity  of  the  market  grew  so  great  that  the 
peddlers'  traffic  in  adjacent  streets  was  prohibited  and  strictly 
limited  elsewhere.  This  measure,  in  fact,  is  deemed  essential  in 
every  city  where  municipal  markets  are  conducted  successfully. 

(COLOGNE  completed  a  million  dollar  market  in  1904,  with 
a  cold  storage  plant  and  connections  with  the  state  and  narrow 
gauge  railways.  Nearly  half  the  space  is  taken  up  by  wholesale 
dealers  in  fruit  and  vegetables. 

The  chief  fault  of  the  market  is  the  remoteness  from  the 
center  of  the  town.  At  first  it  had  a  great  success  but,  on  this 
account,  it  has  not  been  entirely  maintained.  Encouraged  by  that 
initial  prosperity,  the  city  authorities  bought  a  nearer  site,  but 
the  subsequent  decrease  in  the  market's  popularity  has  caused 
the  postponement  of  extensions.  Though  the  market  does  not 
pay  the  five  per  cent,  on  capital  that  is  required,  the  present 
administration,  even  with  its  drawbacks,  does  succeed  in  making 
a  profit  of  about  three  per  cent,  on  the  capital  invested,  last  year's 
income  amounting  to  $535,200. 

rj.  AMBURG  is  peculiarly  situated  as  to  its  market  conditions. 
The  market  halls  o£  Hamburg  and  Altona  adjoin,  but  while  the 
former  is  under  the  £p,ntrol  of  the  Hamburg  senate,  the  latter 
is  subject  to  the  lawl  'of  the  Prussian  government  and  admin- 
istered by  the  Altona  city  authorities.  Each  has  a  large  hall, 
with  a  considerable  portion  of  the  space  used  for  auctions.  The 
senate  of  Hamburg  appoints  two  auctioneers  and  Altona  one; 
but,  while  the  latter  is  a  salaried  official,  the  former  are  two 
Hamburg  auctioneers  approved  by  the  government  for  the  special 
market  business,  on  undertaking  not  to  trade  on  their  own  ac- 
count. The  trade  of  the  chief  market  is  in  fish.  With  the  Al- 
tona market,  the  Hamburg  market  and  the  Geestemunde  market, 
the  sales  in  this  section  of  Germany  are  the  most  important  in 
the  Fatherland  for  fresh  sea  fish,  and  salted  herrings.  About  a 
fourth  comes  in  fishing  cutters  or  steam  trawlers  direct  along- 
side the  market  halls,  while  the  remaining  three-fourths  come 
from  Denmark  by  rail  or  by  ships  from  England,  Scotland  and 
Norway.  Often  there  are  three  or  four  special  fish  trains  from 
the  north  in  a  day,  while  twenty-five  to  thirty  steamers  bring  the 
regular  supply  of  imported  fish. 

The  auctioneers  derive  their  revenue  from  a  four  per  cent. 
charge  on  sales  of  the  cargoes  of  German  fishing  vessels  and 
five  per  cent,  on  imported  supplies.  Out  of  this  they  pay  half 
of  one  per  cent,  to  the  government  on  the  German  and  one  per- 

19 


33*8 


20 


cent  on  the  foreign  sales.  No  fees  are  charged  to  importers  and 
dealers  using  the  auction  section  of  the  fish  market.  Out  of  the 
percentage  paid  to  the  government  by  the  auctioneers  is  provided 
light  and  water,  the  cleansing  of  the  halls  and  the  carting  away 
of  refuse  for  destruction.  Strict  regulations  govern  the  inspec- 
tion of  the  fish  and  to  ensure  the  destruction  of  those  that  have* 
deteriorated  they  are  sprinkled  with  petroleum  immediately  on 
detection. 

Steam  fishing  boats  using  the  market  quays  pay  48  cents 
for  24  hours'  use,  seagoing  sailing  cutters  24  cents,  river  sailing 
cutters  6  cents,  and  small  boats  3  cents,  in  which  charges  the 
use  of  electric  and  other  hoists  is  included. 

From  these  markets  almost  the  whole  of  Germany  receives 
its  sea  fish  supplies,  for  the  distribution  of  which  most  of  the 
leading  dealers  have  branch  houses  in  the  principal  cities. 

There  are  also  two  markets — one  in  Hamburg  and  one  in 
Altona — for  the  sale  of  farm  produce,  mostly  transported  thither 
by  boats.  Besides  these,  there  is  a  big  auction  for  imported  fruit, 
conducted  by  private  firms.  All  these  Hamburg  markets  are 
prosperous,  and  their  utility  to  the  community  is  universally  ac- 
knowledged. 

F  RAXKFORTS  market  system  dates  back  to  1879,  when  the 
first  hall  was  erected  at  "a  cost  of  $375 ,000.  It  has  548  stands 
on  thelTiainlToor 'renting  at  $1.08  per  two  square  meters  a  month, 
payable  in  advance,  while  there  is  space  for  347  more  in  the 
galleries  at  84  cents  per  two  square  meters  a  month.  Nearby 
is  a  second  hall,  built  in  1883  at  a  cost  of  $143,750.  A  third 
hall  followed  in  1899  at  a  cost  of  $38,500,  while  in  1911  further 
extensions  were  determined  on  and  there  are  fresh  projects  now 
under  consideration.  Besides  these  covered  markets  the  city  has 
a  paved  and  fenced  square  that  has  been  used  since  1907  as  an 
open  market,  where  stands  are  rented  at  5  cents  a  day. 

Sixty  per  cent  of  the  stands  in  the  market  halls  are  rented 
by  the  month  and  forty  per  cent  by  the  day.  Tuesdays  and  Fri- 
days are  reserved  for  wholesale  trading.  A  market  commission 
rules  the  markets  and  the  police  enforce  their  regulations,  the 
violation  of  which  is  liable  to  cost  the  offender  $7.20  in  fines  or 
imprisonment  up  to  eight  days. 

JV1  UNICH,  with  a  population  of  half  a  million,  has  the  most 
modern  of  all  the  European  municipal  markets.  It  was  opened 
in  February,  1912,  and  embodies  the  improvements  suggested  by 
experience  of  market  administration  in  other  cities. 

21 


The  total  cost  was  $797,000,  of  which  $510,000  was  spent 
on  four  communicating  iron  market  halls,  with  their  cellar  ac- 
commodation underneath,  $190,000  on  a  receiving  and  toll  de- 
partment, $52,000  on  a  group  of  adjacent  buildings,  including  a 
post-office,  restaurant  and  beer-garden,  and  $45,000  on  road- 
ways. The  whole  establishment  covers  46,500  square  meters,  of 
which  the  market  halls  occupy  37,100  square  meters. 

At  the  northern  extremity  of  the  buildings  is  the  toll  and 
receiving  department,  where  produce  is  delivered  at  special  sid- 
ings connected  with  the  south  railway  station  of  the  city.  Next 
comes  a  succession  of  lofty  halls,  with  covered  connections,  termi- 
nating in  a  small  retail  section  and  the  administration  offices.  At 
the  northern  end  of  the  great  market  is  a  section  where  express 
delivery  traffic  is  dealt  with,  while  the  western  side  is  occupied 
with  sidings  for  loading  produce  sold  to  buyers  from  other  Ger- 
man centers. 

Below  the  toll  house  and  the  market  generally  are  vast  cold 
storage  cellars  and  refrigerating  plants  for  the  preservation  of 
surplus  supplies  till  the  demand  in  the  market  above  calls  for 
their  delivery.  Each  market  hall  is  devoted  to  a  separate  section 
of  produce,  and  the  cellars  below  are  correspondingly  distinct, 
so  that  there  is  an  absence  of  confusion,  orderliness  is  ensured, 
and  rapid  deliveries  facilitated.  Across  this  underground  space 
from  north  to  south  run  three  roadways,  while  down  the  center, 
from  east  to  west,  a  further  broad  aisle  is  provided,  with  an 
equipment  of  great  hydraulic  lifts.  There  are  nine  of  these  lifts 
altogether  for  heavy  consignments,  while  each  stand-owner  in 
the  market  has,  in  addition,  a  small  lift  connecting  his  stand 
and  storage  cellar. 

Both  market  halls  and  underground  cellars  are  so  con- 
structed as  to  facilitate  ventilation  and  complete  cleanliness.  The 
floors  are  of  concrete  and  every  stand  is  fitted  with  running 
water,  with  which  all  the  fittings  have  to  be  scoured  every  day. 
There  is  both  roof  and  side  light,  and  ample  ventilation,  while 
the  entrances  are  wind-screened,  to  prevent  dust.  Electric  light 
is  used  underground,  and  the  cellars  are  inspected  as  strictly  as 
the  upper  halls,  to  ensure  due  attention  to  hygiene.  In  the  cen- 
ter of  each  market  hall  there  are  offices  and  writing  rooms  for 
those  using  the  markets.  In  the  restaurant  150  can  be  served 
with  meals  at  one  time,  or  they  can  be  accommodated  with  seats 
in  the  beer-garden. 

Associated  with  this  market  establishment  is  a  great  cattle 
market  and  range  of  slaughterhouses  on  a  neighboring  site.  The 
live  cattle  market  dates  back  for  centuries,  but  the  present  ac- 


22 


commodation  was  only  completed  in  May,  1904,  at  a  total  cost 
of  $1,600,000. 

Last  year  809, 508, animals  were  sold,  including  432,159  swine 
and  234,457  calves.  In  the  slaughterhouses  713,228  of  these  were 
killed,  besides  2,619  horses  and  97  dogs.  About  twenty-five  per 
cent  of  the  animals  reach  the  market  by  road  from  neighboring 
farms,  while  seventy-five  per  cent  come  by  rail.  For  the  in- 
spection of  all  flesh  foods  there  are  very  strict  rules,  enforced 
by  the  chief  veterinary  surgeon,  Dr.  Miiller,  and  a  staff  of  spe- 
cially trained  assistants.  As  in  Berlin,  extensive  bathrooms  are 
provided  for  the  slaughterhouse  staff,  and  baths  are  available  at 
nominal  charges.  Though  the  new  market  halls  have  not  been 
established  long  enough  to  provide  a  definite  financial  statement, 
the  live-cattle  market  and  slaughterhouses  do  afford  an  indica- 
tion of  the  success  of  municipal  administration  in  Munich.  Last 
year  the  income  was  $416,500  and  the  expenditure  $410,100,  thus 
showing  a  profit  of  $6,400.  The  new  produce  halls  are  certainly 
the  best  equipped  in  the  world,  and  the  only  element  of  doubt  as 
to  their  success  arises  from  the  fact  that  three  old-fashioned  open 
markets  are  nearer  the  center  of  the  city  and  for  that  reason  are 
even  now  preferred  by  many  retailers.  This  fact  emphasises  the 
importance  of  selecting  a  central  position  in  establishing  a  mu- 
nicipal terminal  market. 

France 

I  ARIS  has  one  of  the  most  skilfully  organized  municipal  mar- 
ket systems  m  "Europe.  The  chief  food  distribution  center  for 
the  3,000,000  Parisians  is  established  at  the  Halles  Centrales,  a 
series  of  ten  pavilions  covering  twenty- two  acres  of  ground  and 
intervening^  streets.  Altogether  this  great  terminal  market  has 
cost  the  city  more  than  $10,000,000. 

Most  of  the  pavilions  are  entirely  for  the  wholesale  trade,  » 
but  some  are  used  as  retail  markets  to  a  limited  extent.     Retail  j 
traders  are  being  decreased  gradually,  so  that  whereas  in  1904 
there  were   1,164  retail  stands  there  are  now  only  856. 

The  total  receipts  of  the  Halles  Centrales  and  thirty  local  ' 
markets  amount  to  $2,100,000,  of  which  about  $1,000,000  is 
profit.  There  is  a  general  advance  in  the  wholesale  trade,  but  the 
local  covered  markets  or  marches  de  quartier,  are  not  progressing 
in  the  same  way,  so  the  city  does  not  quite  maintain  a  steady 
level  of  market  profit. 

The  reasons  given  for  the  falling  off  of  the  retail  trade  are 
various,  but  the  principal  causes  appear  to  be  (i)  the  growth 

23 


3  2 


J  §5 
<;  3  £ 
J^H 

W  •£  ° 
ffi  >  § 
H  o'55 


of  big  stores,  with  local  branches,  that  deliver  the  goods  at  the 
door,  thus  relieving  the  purchaser  of  the  necessity  of  taking  home 
market  supplies;  (2)  the  number  of  perambulating  produce 
salesmen,  who  sell  from  carts  in  the  street  at  low  rates,  having 
neither  store  rent  nor  market  tolls  to  pay,  and  (3)  the  growth  of 
co-operative  societies. 

A  complicated  and  severe  code  of  regulations  governs  the 
markets.  Commission  salesmen  at  the  Halles  Centralcs  must  be 
French  citizens  of  unblemished  record  and  must  give  a  bond  of 
not  less  than  $1,000  in  proof  of  solvency.  Producers  may  have 
their  supplies  sold  either  at  auction  or  by  private  treaty,  as  they 
prefer,  and  as  none  of  the  agents  are  allowed  to  do  business 
for  themselves  the  distant  growers  have  confidence  in  the  market 
methods. 

In  the  retail  markets  each  dealer  in  fresh  meat  pays  just 
under  $6.00  a  week  in  all,  while  dealers  in  salted  meats,  fish, 
game  and  vegetables  pay  a  much  lower  rate.     All,  however,  in 
the  covered  markets  pay  three  taxes — one  for  the  right  to  occupy 
a  stand,  one  for  the  cleaning  and  arranging  of  the  markets,  and 
one  for  the  maintenance  of  guardians  and  officials.     In  the  open 
markets  the  stands  are  rented  by  the  day,  week,  or  year,  the  rate 
for  the  day  ranging  from  ten  to  thirty  cents,  according  to  space.  / 
Several  of  these  local  markets  have  charters  dating  back  to  pre-  ' 
revolution  days,  that  cannot  now  be  annulled. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  devise  a  more  thorough  system  of 
inspection.  An  average  year's  seizures  include  half  a  million 
pounds  of  meat,  17,000  pounds  of  fruit  and  vegetables  and  half 
a  million  pounds  of  salt  water  fish. 

Thus  the  Paris  market  arrangements  provide  an  admirable 
central  clearing  house,  where  supplies  are  inspected  and  sold 
under  such  conditions  as  to  prevent  the  artificial  raising  of  prices. 
It  also  acts  as  a  feeder  to  the  marches  de  quartier,  to  the  great 
convenience  of  local  consumers.  Moreover  the  producer  is  safe- 
guarded, for  on  his  supplies  a  small  fixed  percentage  only  can  be 
charged  by  the  salesman,  and  the  current  market  prices  are  made 
public  by  agents  especially  detailed  for  that  purpose. 

11 AVRE,  the  well-known  French  seaport,  with  a  population  of 
130,000,  has  a  profit  of  over  six  per  cent  on  the  Halles  Centrales 
and  ten  per  cent  on  the  fish  market.  All  told  there  is  a  profit  of 
$27,000  on  the  twelve  municipal  markets. 

The  Halles  Centrales  occupy  an  entire  square  in  the  center 
of  the  city  and  cost  $75,000,  exclusive  of  the  site.  Gardeners" 

25 


5  - 

§;° 

S    o 


t-1 


and  farmers  are  not  permitted  to  sell  their  produce  on  the  way 
to  the  market  and  are  only  allowed  to  deliver  to  storekeepers 
after  the  wholesale  markets  are  closed.  Here,  as  elsewhere  where 
the  markets  are  successful,  every  precaution  is  taken  to  avoid  the 
prosperity  of  the  market  being  dissipated  by  sales  in  the  sur- 
rounding neighborhood.  The  annual  rents  for  butchers  are  very 
moderate,  ranging  from  $57.90  to  $154.40,  vegetable  dealers 
$42.85  to  $92.64;  dairy  produce  dealers  $52.11  to  $85.11,  fish- 
mongers $23.16  to  $86.85.  In  the  wholesale  markets  there  is  an 
annual  trade  turnover  worth  well  above  $1,000,000,  of  which 
fish  represents  $280,000.  So  far  from  the  fishermen  finding  the 
fish  market  detrimental  to  their  interests,  they  welcome  it  and 
cheerfully  observe  the  rule  forbidding  sales  on  the  quays  or 
transit  sheds  except  under  special  permits. 

JL/VONS,  with  a  population  of  half  a  million,  may  be  taken  as 
the  best  example  of  a  flourishing-  French  provincial  city  at  a 
considerable  distance  from  the  sea.  The  principal  market,  La 
Halle,  is  known  all  over  France  for  its  public  auctions.  Accom- 
modation is  provided  for  276  stalls,  rented  at  14  cents  a  day  per 
square  meter  for  fruit,  vegetables  and  cheese,  while  other  stalls 
for  meat  and  fish  are  rented  at  33  cents  per  square  meter. 

At  the  morning  auctions,  held  at  the  rear  of  the  hall,  are 
sold  immense  quantities  of  fish,  oysters,  lobsters,  game,  poultry, 
butter,  cheese,  eggs,  fruit  and  vegetables.  There  is  a  rule  that 
all  supplies  must  come  from  outside  Lyons,  so  that  local  store 
men  cannot  there  dispose  of  surplus  stocks,  but  dealers  in  other 
French  cities  often  thus  relieve  themselves  when  overloaded. 
These  auctions  not  only  enable  local  dealers  to  distribute  supplies 
at  cheap  rates  to  the  small  stores  all  over  the  city,  but  wide  awake 
housewives  can  frequently  tell  just  what  the  stores  gave  whole- 
sale for  the  produce  offered  to  them  retail  later  in  the  day,  so  a 
check  can  be  kept  on  overcharges. 

The  auctioneers  are  given  a  monopoly  of  selling  for  ten 
years,  on  binding  themselves  to  pay  to  the  city  a  sum  equal  to 
two  per  cent  on  the  total  annual  sales.  The  minimum  is  fixed  at 
$1,930  for  one  stand  or  $5,650  for  four  stands,  to  be  paid  to  the 
municipal  treasury.  Two  per  cent  is  added  tovthe  purchase  price 
of  every  payment  made  by  buyers  at  auction,  and  if  this  does  not 
amount  to  $1,930  per  stand  for  the  year,  the  auctioneer  has  to 
make  up  the  difference.  The  poorer  classes  benefit  largely  by 
these  sales,  banding  together  to  buy  wholesale  and  then  dividing 
their  purchases. 

There  are  also  seventeen  markets   for  general  retail  trade 

27 


J 

£  *° 

21 


CO 


o 

I 


28 


in  Lyons.  The  Terminal  Market  of  La  Halle  cost  the  city  $886,- 
980.  The  company  which  built  it  was  given  a  concession  for 
fiftv  years,  on  a  division  of  profits  arrangement,  but  within 
sixteen  months  the  utility  of  the  market  as  an  advantageous 
enterprise  for  the  city  was  so  clearly  demonstrated  that  the  muni- 
cipality bought  the  company  out. 

Austria-Hungary 

V  IENNA,  with  1,700,000  people  to  supply,  has  a  magnificently  | 
managed  system  of  forty-five  markets,  seven  of  which  are  lo-/ 
cated  in  large,  well-ventilated  halls,  all  kept  spotlessly  clean. 

Market  commissioners  appointed  by  the  municipality  con- 
duct the  business  of  the  markets  according  to  strict  regulations, 
enforcing  a  rigid  inspection  of  all  products  as  well  as  weights 
and  measures.  Violations  of  these  rules  are  punishable  by  fines 
of  about  $2.00,  imprisonment  for  24  hours  or  exclusion  from  the 
markets.  Such  penalties  are  enforced  when  buyers  are  de- 
frauded, dealers  oppose  the  market  authority,  or  exceed  the 
charges  that  are  posted  in  the  market. 

Not  merely  land  and  water  produce,  but  general  farm  and 
household  requisites,  are  sold  at  these  markets.  Outside  buying 
is  strictly  controlled,  owners  of  boats  on  the  Danube  or  wagons 
on  the  public  streets  paying  toll  to  the  municipality  on  any  sales. 

Over  $60,000  profit  is  the  average  annual  yield  of  the  mar- 
kets to  the  city  treasury,  and  it  is  generally  agreed  that  the 
market  system  tends  to  keep  down  the  price  of  foodstuffs  to 
normal  levels. 

rSUDA-PESTH  has  715,000  people  and  a  very  complete  market 
system,  under  which,  though  only  nominal  rentals  are  charged, 
there  is  a  profit  of  over  $100,000. 

There  is  one  large  wholesale  terminal  market,  while  six 
local  markets  cater  for  the  retail  requirements  of  all  quarters 
of  the  city.  All  salesmen  are  carefully  selected ;  criminals  and 
diseased  persons  being  rigidly  excluded.  Though  a  wide  variety 
of  articles  are  sold  in  the  smaller  markets  besides  farm  produce, 
storekeepers  are  not  allowed  to  rent  stalls,  so  the  market 
men  and  farmers  alone  have  the  use  of  the  buildings.  The  regu- 
lations under  which  they  trade  were  drawn  up  by  a  market 
commission  and  confirmed  by  ministerial  decrees.  These  regu- 
lations are  regarded  in  Europe  as  a  model  of  comprehensiveness 
and  their  observance  ensures  close  attention  to  hygiene.  Among 
the  rules  is  one  insisting  on  the  placing  of  all  waste  paper  in  the 

29 


public  refuse  receptacles,  while  another  compels  the  use  of  new, 
clean  paper  only  in  wrapping  up  food  products. 

Stalls  are  rented  from  four  to  ten  cents  a  day,  according  to 
the  accommodation.  Supplies  come  by  boat,  rail  and  wagon,  and 
when  there  is  pressure  on  the  interior  market  space  sales  are 
allowed  from  the  boats  and  wagons  at  a  toll  of  ten  cents  a  day. 
Otherwise  only  merchandise  is  allowed  to  be  sold  outside  the 
market  halls.  Not  only  must  no  fish,  game,  meat  or  poultry  be 
sold  without  first  being  passed  by  the  veterinary  inspectors,  but 
none  of  these  articles  of  diet  must  be  brought  to  market  packed 
in  straw,  cloth  or  paper.  Unripe  fruit  must  not  be  sold  to 
children. 

Every  day  a  bulletin  issued  by  the  market  commission  sets 
out  the  wholesale  prices,  while  a  weekly  list  gives  the  retail 
prices,  but  in  the  latter  case  the  note  is  added  that  the  market 
commission  will  not  be  responsible  for  any  controversy  that  may 
arise.  All  the  stocks  held  by  the  market  traders  are  insured 
by  the  municipality,  though  not  to  their  full  value. 

Not  only  have  these  markets  proved  beneficial  to  the  con- 
sumers generally,  but  the  market  men  are  unanimous  as  to  their 
advantage,  for  they  afford  a  ready  and  inexpensive  means 
of  doing  a  large  business. 

Holland 

AMSTERDAM,  with  a  population  of  510,000,  has  all  the  local 
markets  under  the  control  of  the  municipality.  They  are  divided 
into  five  districts,  each  managed  by  a  director  or  market  master, 
responsible  to  the  city  council. 

Two  of  the  markets  are  covered,  but  the  remainder  are  open 
and  are  situated  by  the  side  of  the  canals,  along  which  the  prod- 
uce is  brought  in  boats  from  the  farms  around.  On  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  markets  in  an  average  year  there  is  a  profit  vf 
$36,000,  but  there  is  a  law  against  making  a  profit  on  municipal 
enterprises,  so  the  surplus  is  spent  on  local  improvements. 

ROTTERDAM,  another  great  Dutch  seaport,  operates  its 
markets  under  similar  conditions  and  makes  a  profit  of  $34,000. 
of  which  $23,000  comes  from  the  cattle  and  meat  markets. 

Belgium 

BRUSSELS,  possessing  a  population  of  half  a  million,  reaps 
considerable  advantage  from  its  picturesque  municipal  markets, 
four  of  which  are  covered,  while  several  are  in  the  open  air. 

30 


The  renting  of  space  to  standholtt'efs  aft"  tfe:  central  market 
is  according  to  the  highest  bidder,  provided  the  price  is  not 
below  $11.58  per  month  for  meat,  $9.65  for  poultry  and  game, 
$5.79  for  fruit,  vegetables,  butter  and  cheese. 

Both  producers  and  dealers  sell  at  these  markets,  all  their 
supplies  being  subjected  to  drastic  inspection  regulations.  All 
meats  are  tested  by  the  municipal  veterinary  surgeon  and  his 
staff,  while  a  communal  chemist  regulates  the  milk,  butter  and 
general  dairy  produce.  The  cleansing  of  the  markets  is  done  by 
the  department  of  public  cleanliness.  Some  of  the  public  markets 
are  managed  by  a  contractor,  who  receives  $250.90  a  year  for 
setting  up  the  stalls  and  keeping  them  in  good  order.  He  de- 
posits a  security  on  undertaking  his  contract  and  in  default  of 
a  satisfactory  performance  of  his  work  the  commune  does  it  and 
charges  him  with  it. 

Comments 

IT  has  been  testified  that  Xew  York's  annual  food  supply  costs, 
at  the  railroad  and  steamer  terminals,  $350,000,000.  But  the  \ 
consumers  pay  $500,000,000  for  it.  The  balance  of  $150,000,000 
does  not  necessarily  indicate  that  any  particular  section  of  middle- 
men have  been  exacting  excessive  profits.  It  merely  demonstrates 
that  too  many  people  handle  the  produce  between  the  farm  and 
the  fireside.  The  provision  of  an  adequate  Terminal  Market 
system  for  Xew  York  would  apply  the  remedy. 

Xew  York  stands  alone,  for  a  city  of  its  importance,  in 
having  to  face  an  annual  deficit  on  its  markets.  The  results  else- 
where prove  that  the  deficit  could  be  turned  into  a  profit  by  the 
creation  of  a  Terminal  Market  system,  equipped  and  adminis- 
tered on  twentieth  century  lines. 

America  is  exporting  less  foodstuffs  than  formerly.  The 
annual  value  has  fallen  $126,000,000  in  eleven  years.  The 
growth  of  the  manufacturing  population  and  the  relative  decrease 
of  the  agricultural  population,  together  with  the  gradual  im- 
poverishment of  much  of  our  farm  land,  will  soon  make  con- 
ditions worse  unless  we  organize  our  food  distribution. 

The  first  step  for  Xew  York  is  the  establishment  of  a  Ter- 
minal Market  system.  It  is  estimated  that  £~e\v  York's  popula- 
tion will  continue  to  grow  at  the  rate  of  fully  100,000  a  year,  so 
this  problem  admits  of  no  further  procrastination. 

In  natural  resources  America  is  the  richest  country  in  the 
world.  Other  nations  have  to  import  vast  quantities  of  produce 
because  of  the  restricted  area  of  their  territory,  the  comparative 

31 


unfruitfumV}£$-cor£*  their  soil,  br'  their  adverse  climatic  conditions. 
We  have  a  wide  land  of  boundless  fertility,  never  wholly  in  the 
grip  of  winter's  cold.  Yet  we  no  more  escape  the  high  cost  of 
living  than  these  less  favored  peoples  overseas.  They  have  par- 
tially compensated  for  their  disadvantages  by  organizing  their 
markets,  while  we  have  neglected  that  important  branch  of  civic 
enterprise. 

Everywhere  in  Europe,  the  provision  of  adequate  terminal 
markets  under  municipal  control  is  pointed  to  as  a  powerful 
aid  in  keeping  food  prices  down.  There  is  a  lesson  in  that  for 
New  York  and  other  American  cities. 

There  is  a  lesson  also  for  growers  in  up-state  districts,  for 
experience  shows  that  with  adequate  markets,  supplying  produce 
at  lower  rates,  there  comes  a  demand  for  more  farm  and  garden 
stuff  and  a  greater  variety  of  it.  This  directly  aids  in  developing 
rural  prosperity  and  enhances  the  value  of  agricultural  land. 

I  believe  a  marked  improvement  will  be  shown  if  a  bureau 
is  maintained  to  inform  farmers  as  to  the  demands  of  the  mar- 
ket and  the  best  method  of  packing,  preparing  and  despatching 
their  produce  so  as  to  reach  the  market  in  prime  condition.  Not 
only  will  that  aid  the  market,  but  it  will  have  a  powerful  influence 
in  arresting  "the  drift  from  the  land"  to  the  cities. 

The  municipality  should  select  central  positions  for  its  mar- 
kets, with  rail  and  river  access.  It  should  have  effective  control 
not  only  over  the  markets  but  the  adjacent  streets,  wharves,  and 
railroad  sidings,  so  as  to  obviate  evasion  of  the  market  tolls.  The 
rentals  should  not  be  high,  and  no  sub-letting  should  be  allowed 
under  any  circumstances. 

Under  such  conditions,  with  wise  administration,  New 
York's  Terminal  Market  system  could  be  made  a  model  that 
would  be  studied  by  other  cities  in  an  age  when  economic  ques- 
tions absorb  the  attention  of  all  our  public-spirited  men  and 
women. 

In  the  interests  of  the  people's  health  and  happiness,  no  less 
than  in  consideration  of  the  municipal  finances,  all  should  rally 
to  the  support  of  those  who  are  seeking  to  secure  the  consumma- 
tion of  this  urgent  reform  at  the  earliest  possible  moment  con- 
sistent with  a  full  consideration  of  all  its  aspects. 


The  Willett  Press,  New  York 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


27  T918 
MAY  11  1918 

IPR  84  1922 


OCT 


30m-6,'14 


